The Gay News Collective has decided to change the format of our Editorial leaders. We all thought that the Editorial should be used in future for serious comments on events in the news relating to gayness and advancements and deteriorations in the present position of homosexuals in society. As the old format of the Editorial was mainly concerned with internal goings-on of the paper and the difficulties and successes we were experiencing, not forgetting our constant appeals for one thing or another, we realised that this would hinder the object of the new style editorial leader.

But we think it is extremely important to communicate to you the ‘life and times’ of Gay News, as we still stand firmly by what we first said in our earlier editions, that this paper belongs to the gay community and not to those who want to preach their own particular political beliefs or for the monetary ambitions of those producing GN. So to carry on keeping you in the know of what’s happening to us and the paper, we will now run this regular column called Here We Are Again. The reason we decided to call it that was because of the number of times that phrase appeared in past editorials. Yes, we know how our writing styles can be shocking but we’re trying to learn and improve. So, despite our sometimes obvious limitations, here we are again.

Christmas Issue

The Christmas issue, even if we say so ourselves, looks as if it will be as good as we had hoped. Definites for that edition to date are a Robin Maugham short story, a feature entitled The Garland Legend which is in keeping with the current nostalgia trend, an intimate interview with pop star Peter Straker, and a very special, hilariously funny, surprise scoop that we’re keeping a secret until the issue is out. Also there will be the ultimate gay game for four players, plus many other novelties and seasonal delights. And of course there will be the latest gay news and all the other regular features and review pages. GN’s size will be at least twenty pages for that issue but it will still only cost you 1Op.

Subscriptions for Gifts

To pay for all the extras of our enlarged Christmas issue, we will be trying very hard to sell as many copies as possible. It will be the only edition in December so we expect you all to buy one, and also copies for friends. It will be extremely naughty of you if you continue sharing one copy between six of you for this special issue.

In this issue you will notice that there is a special subscription form whereby you can take out a sub as a gift for a friend or loved one. And what could be a better present than ten or twenty issues of ‘big GN’. Seriously though, we know a lot of people still don’t get to see us, so why not help to unbiasedly inform them of what’s happening in the gay world. Subs are an important factor in our survival and continued existence, so why not treat yourself to mailed editions of GN for the coming new year even if you don’t feel we are a suitable gift for someone else.

Love and Kisses

We would like to thank all those people who had enough faith in us to renew their ten copy subscriptions. At least 95% of you did and we feel very flattered. This type of confidence in the paper is such an encouraging sign to us, and your continuing support of GN will make it possible for us to endeavour to always be improving and expanding and to eventually start some of the plans we would like to turn into reality. In case your sub is due to expire in the next few weeks, we advise you to renew it soon, as the usual Christmas postal chaos may cause delays. And you wouldn’t want to miss our Christmas special would you?

New Offices

We unfortunately still haven’t been able to find new offices. The present amount of working space is quite a problem and the only way of solving it is by finding larger premises. They must of course be available at a reasonable (cheap) rent. If any of you know of anywhere suitable, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The only major stipulation we need to insist upon is that the offices be situated in central London, ie Fleet Street. Those of you who have visited our present offices will know of the difficulties we are working under, so to you especially, help!

Word Machines

A magic word to use at the moment, which is guaranteed to get hunched shoulders straightening up at a rapid pace and interest beaming from our innocent faces, is ‘typewriter’. The two manual machines that are still operating are slowly giving up the ghost and no amount of coaxing and bribing with new ribbons or machine oil will help restore their lost youth and effectiveness.

Two others have sadly moved up to that great ‘typing pool in the sky’ and with the two we have left threatening to be reunited with them, typewriterwise we are in a sorry state.

After that convincing lead-in, now comes another famous GN appeal. If you have a typewriter you don’t use and would like to see it put to use, we will gladly guarantee that it will be over-worked. Also if any of you want to automate our surroundings, a gift or the paying of rent for an electric model(s) would mean loving smiles and very grateful thanks from all of us.

A Final Word

We have tried to cram as much of everything into this issue. The last one was so filled with news items we had very little room for featurettes and feedback. So we’re making up for it this time. Hope you find many things to your liking and taste. Take care of yourselves and enjoy your paper.

Gay News is, as has been said many times in the paper, an unaffiliated, independent newspaper, that is open to all forms of opinions and comments. It is not a Gay Liberation Front paper, any more than it is a mouthpiece solely for Campaign for Homosexual Equality, or any of the other active gay organisations operative in Great Britain.

That most certainly does not mean though, that the ideas and aims, as well as reportage of the activities of these organisations, will not appear in our pages. They are welcome to submit copy to us which we will almost certainly print, the same as any other individual is more than welcome to express his/her viewpoints, whether through a letter, an article or by informing us of some news that is relevant to all gays

So we wonder why some members of London Gay Lib find it necessary to be so openly hostile by threatening to ‘take over’ Gay News if we do not print a letter of theirs. GN prints the majority of letters received, and the only time we reject readers/organisations communications is when we have a large number making exactly the same point, or when we can’t read the writing. Other reasons would be when we considered the letter to be racist, slanderous non-factual or unfairly offensive. We do not censor letters and whether the members of the editorial collective agree or disagree with what is being said is immaterial to whether they are reproduced. A quick look at the many letters we have printed in past issues would show that what we are saying is correct.

Why then the hostility from this small group of radicals? Is it because we are not a GLF paper? — for that we most certainly won’t ever be, as we will never be any other organisation’s publication. Is it because GN is critical of some London GLF activities and policies? – possibly, for up until the advent of Gay News no gay organisation received any serious criticism from gay people themselves. Does this mean to say that some London Gay Libbers are so right, so completely pure, that they don’t have to examine their motives, or consider the opinions of others, or even want to be bothered to attempt to communicate their ideas to others who haven’t reached the same advanced state of personal awareness as themselves.

The Gay News Office was invaded just after the publication of our first issue, by a GLF faction calling themselves Radical Feminists (we understand that they are now known as Radical Queens). They objected to us including an article critical of them in the issue we were preparing for publication. After screaming at us for an hour or so, they then disagreed amongst themselves, resulting in extreme boredom for us and a loss of valuable working time. They eventually trooped out, leaving us none the wiser to why they were above or afraid of criticism.

The only point of near communication that we were left to ponder was the slogan ‘Where’s your head at?’ which was frequently bellowed during the incident. This quaint phrase first came into use during the psychedelic boom of 1967, and was subsequently dropped from ‘hip’ language much the same time as ‘flower power’ died.

Does this new takeover threat mean that we will have to endure another hysterical screeching session, or maybe they will go farther and destroy our notes and intended copy, remove our files, damage our typewriters and light fittings and generally behave like a bunch of thugs from the National Front, as they did when invading the Time Out premises a year ago. You can rest assured that nothing more constructive will be coming from them, unless by some sort of miracle they manage to prepare an issue of the paper, which would surely be a one-sided, dogmatic rendering of their own exclusive cant.

The GN collective would of course never allow this to happen, as in the same way we will not allow any form of censorship, whether through intimidation or otherwise. Why can’t these people see that any articles they submit to us will take their place among all the other opinions and criticisms from other organisations.

Is it also necessary for GN street sellers to receive threats such as “What will you do if I rip up your papers?” as happens every so often. On more than one occasion, copies of GN have in fact been destroyed by agitated London Gay Libbers. What is the sense in this, for such action is on a par with book burning.

It is not intended by this piece to attack or even criticise the whole of the Gay Liberation Front movement. Many London members, despite ideological differences with Gay News, manage to maintain a civilised relationship with us, and also do much good and important work for the improvement of the lot of gays generally. Also relations with Gay Lib outside of London couldn’t be better, many of these groups, in fact, sell GN at their meetings and also in their surrounding areas. We have even received generous donations from one or two of these groups.

As we feel that no-one is exempt from constuctive criticism and we will never pander to pressure groups by withholding news, censoring our opinions and editorial comments, or allowing one faction or group to have more of a say or influence than another. The day we did allow this would be the time for us to quit publishing, for it would be betraying the trust people have in us, who rely upon our independent position to inform them factually, unbiasedly and without any preaching or politicising.

In a recent London GLF Diary (Nov 9-18) the embittered faction responsible for that edition suggested that people read such American Gay Lib publications as Gay Sunshine, Gay Liberator, Flaming Faggots as they would ‘prove more palatable than reading Gay News’. Apart from these papers only being available in limited numbers at a few bookshops, the writer(s) of the quoted piece completely fail to explain or communicate their reasons for such criticism. Possibly the truth and realities of matters and events nearer home are unpalatable. Possibly the vacuity of London Gay Lib during the last year is a matter they would rather sweep under the carpet.

We remain the only national fortnightly, independent gay newspaper in this country, and we mean to stay just that. No matter what threats we may recieve.

Gay News Editorial Collective

ED: The complete list of periodicals mentioned in the GLF Diary are as follows: The Body Politic, Lesbian Tide, Flaming Faggots, Gay Sunshine, Fuori and Gay Liberator. We would add to that list The Furies and The Advocate, America’s largest selling gay newspaper. Bookshops in London likely to have a few copies of these papers in stock are Housmans, Agitprop and Compendium.